United States Vice President Mike Pence has vowed to keep working for the “full release” of Andrew Brunson, an American pastor being tried on terrorism and spying charges in Turkey, adding that he had a phone conversation with the cleric after he was transferred from prison to house arrest.

Israel freed an alleged Turkish militant following a request from U.S. President Donald Trump, an Israeli official said on July 27 after the Washington Post reported that the deal was part of a failed White House bid to get Ankara to release an American detainee.

A U.S. bill that would restrict loans from international financial institutions to Turkey until it frees arrested U.S. citizens including American pastor Andrew Brunson cleared a Senate committee July 26, Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency reported.

US President Trump has said that the US will impose large sanctions on Turkey for long time detainment of Pastor Brunson. US Senate also passed the bill that limits Turkey getting loan from international financial institutions last week

Andrew Brunson, on trial for alleged espionage, was released due to health issues after US policymakers threatened sanctions

An American pastor whose imprisonment for more than 600 days has tested relations between the US and Turkey has been released from jail and placed under house arrest, in an apparent concession to repeated demands by American policymakers who called the man’s detention a disgrace and threatened sanctions against Ankara.

The US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, welcomed Andrew Brunson’s release from prison – but said the decision did not go far enough.